Aozora
by theunknownAyatsukiKuroshima
Summary: Beck fanfic. Another random interaction. Everyone has them; you meet people at a store, or a club, or a park. But can this random interaction be something more, like maybe... Fate? A Taira/OC fanfic. Chapter 5 now up!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi! Aya-chan is back. I know I said that Wait for Me would be updated soon, but I'm... kinda, sorta... ok, really stuck. And I already had this written. Reviews are always appreciated. Critique, Criticism, flames, love, anything would be awesome. Also, please note that names will be Japanese-style ( last name first.) and several "romanized" Japanese words will be used. I'll try to include a list of meanings for those in later A/Ns. 3!

Let the story begin! Here's Chapter one of:

**Aozora**

-- -- --

A young lady was working at the counter of a small store in the early evening, her silver hoops catching the light and reflecting it onto the black jacket that hung loosely around her shoulders. The store specialized in books and CD's and often seemed rather obscure, and rarely received customers. The bell that hung from the front door rang, signaling one of the infrequent customers. The clerk straightened, pasting a smile on her face while quickly re-pinning her name tag to her shirt and saying the customary "Irasshaimase". She had covered much of her name tag with stickers, leaving only a small space that proclaimed "Kimura Sorako" in large, readable cerulean kanji. The customer was a tall, handsome guy with light hair and kind, but slightly worried eyes. He was very obviously looking for something, probably a CD, since the CD section was where he immediately headed. Stepping out from behind the counter, Sorako headed towards that section as well.

"Is there something I can help you find? Something I can help with?" Sorako asked, still somewhat forcing a smile. She didn't dislike her job, but she didn't particularly like it either. Several years ago, she had gone through a pretty severe depression, and had learned to fake realistic smiles to keep people from worrying about her. She now used those smiles to keep people from deciding the store wasn't worth visiting. That was the smile she was using now; fake and timid.

"Maybe you can. Would this store happen to have the new Beck CD?" the customer had a very unique voice; one that was soft and rich, without being too deep. Sorako loved his voice automatically. She thought for a moment. /'Beck... do we? I'm not sure...'/ She remembered to respond out loud.

"Well, sir, if we do, it would be in that aisle over there," she said, pointing one aisle over and two up, "unless the other clerks haven't unpacked it. They have been known to slack off some." She walked over to the aisle she had pointed to, trying to remember when and where she had heard of the band Beck. She wanted to help this handsome customer, even while trying to figure out where she had seen him before.

Reaching the right aisle, she quickly scanned the shelves. Two days ago, it had been her turn to restock these shelves, but the other two clerks had done it since, and they might have forgotten to tell her about any new inventory. She hadn't seen any new boxes to be unpacked in the storage room in the back, so if they had it, it would most likely be here. Hopefully. But she didn't see any CD's with the word Beck on them.

"Hmm... it's not /here/ either. What a shame. I guess it's been too long since Grateful Sound," the customer commented softly from behind Sorako. She jumped; she hadn't realized he'd come up behind her. Then his soft words sunk in.

"Grateful Sound? Which one? I went to one a couple of years ago; the one where the third stage had a larger audience than the first stage? It was incredible." Suddenly something clicked in her brain. " Of course, you know how awesome it was, don't you? After all, weren't you ON the third stage? You're in that band, Mongolian Chop Squad, right?" she continued, feeling slightly stupid.

He chuckled lightly. " Yes, or as we're more commonly known in Japan: Beck. Our first CD was supposed to come out today, but none of us can find it anywhere. Could you see if you maybe have it in the back or something?" He was obviously a little worried about not being able to find it.

Sorako gave a reassuring smile before saying, "Yes, I'll go check right now. One moment." her controlled polite mask had slipped back into place. She walked towards the counter, then opened the door beside it that led to the storage room. Walking in, she saw her reflection in the small mirror that hung on the wall as the only decoration in there. With her naturally "messy" hair that wouldn't lie completely flat no matter how many times she brushed it or how many gels or creams she put in it, her light hazel eyes and relatively pale skin, she looked nearly foreign. Only her slightly slanted eyes countered the "American" effect as her oldest brother, Kioshi, called it. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she looked through a couple of boxes. Finding no CD's, Beck or otherwise, she returned to the front and her waiting customer.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but it appears that we don't have it. I can ask the manager to order some. I'm sure I can convince him that people would buy it, especially if i play the tape from Grateful Sound for him. If I succeed in convincing him, is there a number I can reach you at when they come in?" She asked, carefully keeping her mask in place and not showing her excitement about the mere possibility of getting the phone number of the handsome musician.

"Yeah. I'll give you my cell number. Do you have a pen and paper?" /'SCORE! A cell number even!'/ Sorako mentally rejoiced as she reached behind the counter to retrieve a pen and pad of paper.

"Yeah, here you go," she said handing it to him. Then, realizing that no proper introduction had occurred in the fifteen or so minutes of talking, she continued. "Oh, gomen nasai. My name's Kimura Sorako, as I'm sure you read on my tag. What's yours?"

"Taira Yoshiyuki. Hajimemoshite, Kimura-san." Handing back the pen and paper, he continued nonchalantly, " I suppose you get this a lot, but you really look almost... foreign."

Sorako let out a smile, and this time, it was genuine. "Yes, I do get that pretty often. I suppose in a way I am; My family moved to America when my dad's job transferred him there, and I was born on the ship on the way over there. We lived there until I was seven, then we came back to Japan." Sorako's smile faded slightly as she remembered those few years in American public school. She was one of three kids in her class that were of Japanese descent, and with her messy hair and "tall" height, she had been an easy target for the bullies. Suddenly, a voice broke through her reverie, bringing out of her cognitive trance.

"...ra-san. Kimura-san, are you okay?" Taira looked as if he feared for her health. Probably for good reason.

"Yes, I'm fine. Gomen nasai, I spaced out for a bit. And please, call me Sorako. I dislike my last name. So, is there anything else I can help with?" She felt the need to change the subject before she revealed to a total stranger the status of her relationship with her parents. She got along fine with Kioshi and Ginami, her brother and sister, but her parents were too controlling and had always tried to force Sorako to be someone who they could be proud of, instead of someone that she could be proud of. Sorako had saved up to afford an apartment of her own, and she was incredibly glad that she had. Of course, it had helped that the shop's manager was generous with the salaries of the employees and that her brother had taught her how to manage money well ever since she had started middle school.

"No, I think I'll be fine. Thank you for your help Kimu-" he cut off at Sorako's look "I mean, Sorako-san. I'm afraid I must be going now; I have three more stores on my list, and I think one of them closes in half an hour. Will you keep me informed of any progress with the CD?"

Sorako let her smile return. "Will do! it was nice to meet you, Taira-san."

He flinched at her formality. "kun, please. I feel uncomfortable being addressed as san.

Sorako's smile brightened a couple of notches. "Okay. Ja'ne, Taira-kun. Good luck!" She called as the bell rang signaling his exit. "I hope we meet again soon," she continued softly as the door swung gently closed behind the handsome bassist, the bell ringing softly.

Two hours later and Sorako was preparing to close the shop for the night. Her mind kept drifting back to Taira Yoshiyuki. He had seemed so mysterious, but he was obviously kind, as well. Sorako sincerely hoped that they would meet again, and get to know each other better. Picking up the tossed aside pad of paper, she tore off the page with Taira's cell number on it, carefully folded it and stowed it in her large, black purse, which was really more like a tote bag. She then carefully wrote a very respectful letter to her manager, simply mentioning that a customer had come in asking about the Beck CD that had come out today, and asking if they could order a box or two of the CD.

Once that was done, Sorako locked up the store and walked the twenty blocks to her apartment. Usually, she rode her bike to and from work, but today a friend had driven her over after a cup of friendly morning tea. Since she had the next day off, she began working out a schedule as she walked, so that she could fit everything she wanted to do into one day. On that list was sleeping in, and looking through an old photo album that her older sister, Ginami (who at 23 was the middle child), had scrounged up for her.

Reaching her one bedroom apartment, Sorako locked the door behind her and carefully hung up her "trademark" black jacket. She fixed a light meal that was mostly just a cup of instant ramen, then changed into her comfortable satin two-piece pajamas. On her way to bed, however, she remembered something she had nearly forgotten to do. Running back to the kitchen, which was more like a kitchenette, she quickly retrieved a can of cat food from under the sink. After opening it and dumping it into a cat dish, she called, "Tsuki! Food time!" and waited as her gray and white cat ambled contentedly into the small kitchen. Bending down, Sorako petted and pampered Tsuki for a minute. Standing up, she went back down the short hall and into her comfy, fluffy, blanket-covered bed. Within minutes of hitting the pillow, Sorako was out like a light.

-- -- --

A/N: So, what do you think? Love it? hate it? TELL ME!

and as promised, the meanings:

Sorako-- Sky child

gomen ( nasai)-- (very) sorry

Ginami-- beautiful silvery ( more or less. it's a kinda rough translation.)

Kioshi-- quiet

Hajimemoshite-- Nice to meet you. (pronounced hah-jee-meh-mosh-teh)

Tsuki-- moon

There will probably be more in following chapters. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Gomen nasai!!!! I was going to put this off until I could get the next chapter or three of Wait for Me up, but that one has me totally blocked. So I'm very sorry for putting this off for so long, and I still have several chapters to type up, so I'll try to update on this one again soon!!!

Sorako usually woke up early and quickly. She was usually up before the sun, watching it rise, loving the colors that appeared in the sky for those few minutes. Today, however, she had slept until nearly two in the afternoon. As her mind moved slowly from subconsciousness to consciousness, she realized that she could "feel" the sunlight pouring over her. Opening her eyes, she slowly lifted her wrist towards her face to check the time. Seeing that her watch read 13:53 ((A/N: Japan, correct me if I'm wrong, uses military time or a 24-hour clock, so this fanfic will too. To get the time, subtract twelve.)), she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes after stretching.

Standing up, Sorako dressed in a comfortable outfit comprised of loose, knit, Western-style capris and a layered tunic shirt. She then quickly threw her long, dark hair into a loose, messy ponytail. Walking towards the large bookshelf that dominated most of her "living room," she began looking for the decorated scrapbook/photo album that she and her sister had made from old boxes of family pictures. The scrapbook had many pictures of their time in America and from early on after they had come back to Japan. Those pictures showed Sorako in several different scenarios, with several different haircuts and styles (mostly bad due to her messy hair), and some even showed the bruises that she had occasionally gotten from school.

Finding it, Sorako pulled it down and began flipping through it. She saw pictures of Hioshi at nine, holding a six-month-old Sorako, with two-year old Arata and six-year-old Ginami looking on. Sorako missed Arata, who had been quite the party girl, and was killed two years ago when her drunk boyfriend crashed into a light pole while Arata was in the car. Sorako and Arata had gotten along really well, better than Sorako got along with Hioshi and Ginami, although they got along okay. Then there were more pictures, pictures of Ginami holding baby Sorako, or Arata holding her with help from one of the older ones. Ginami and Arata having a tea party, with a toddler Sorako pulling up on a chair, trying to join in, her little pigtails about to fall out. Ginami chasing a blur that was obviously Kioshi, who could not keep still, with her hand held out like she was asking for something to be returned. Then school pictures, and other snapshots.

Then Sorako saw a picture of her and one of her best friends in America. Sorako had been a year older that the other girl, but since they were both Japanese, had connected almost instantaneously. Sorako had been crying behind a big oak tree at recess after the boys in her class had been picking on her, when the other girl, Maho Minami, or as she was known to other Japanese, Minami Maho, had heard and come to investigate. A few months later, the two were practically inseparable. They would hang out as much as possible, even though they were different ages. Their birthdays were about a month apart, so that Sorako was about thirteen months older than Maho. /'We look the same age though,'/ Sorako thought. In the picture, they seemed about eight, which meant that Maho had probably just turned seven. They had one arm slung around each others' shoulders and were smiling happily, although the younger Sorako's eyes seemed slightly sad.

Sorako remembered taking this picture. It was about a month before they moved back to Japan, and she had just been told, when Maho had come over with her new camera, anxious to take pictures. When the picture had been developed the next day, Maho noticed the look in Sorako's eyes in the picture and asked about it. When Sorako finished telling her about it, they had both been in tears. They managed to collect themselves, but their sadness always seemed to barely hide behind their eyes. Then, the day that Sorako and her family would be leaving for Japan, Maho had met her at her house, right before they left for the the airport with a small box in her hands.

--Flashback--

"Skye! Skye!" Maho called through the door as she let herself into the Kimura household. Sorako finished pulling on the itchy "travel clothes" her mother had insisted she wear, then looked over the railing for her friend. "Skye" was Sorako's school name, a desperate attempt to fit in, but also to help her teachers and classmates, who had trouble pronouncing "Sorako."

Sorako's heart nearly broke as she caught sight of Maho, who had that panicked "I'm-not-too-late-am-I?" look on her face, which changed to relief as she saw Sorako beginning to descend the stairs. Maho charged up them, meeting her friend halfway up and knocking her over with the force of her last hug. Sorako laughed softly. "Hey, Maho? Little bit hard to breathe..." Maho nodded and jumped up.

"I'm gonna miss you, Skye! Do you hafta go? I bet you could stay with my family; I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Sorako gave her friend a tight hug after getting back to her feet, then led the younger girl to her room as she replied.

"I wish. I suggested that, too, but my parents... well, you know how they are. I'm gonna miss you too, though!" Sorako's eyes brimmed with tears for what seemed to be the zillionth time as she slid down the wall in the room that would soon no longer be hers, Maho following suit. "I'm scared, Maho. My Dad says I may have to practically relearn Japanese, because my accent's so American-ized. And I still don't know kanji, and only barely know the kanas. What if I'm behind all the others?!" She ended, sobbing softly into her best friend's shoulder, feeling tears drip onto her head as Maho's arms wrapped her in another hug.

"Skye, promise me something?" Sorako just nodded. "Promise me this won't be the last time we see each other. Promise me you'll come back some day."

Sorako pushed the words past the lump crying always left in her throat. "Someday. No later than my twentieth birthday; sooner if I can get the money. Don't get yourself killed or anything until then, okay?" Then she added as an afterthought: "Or ever. " She gave her friend a watery smile, receiving one in return.

"Ok. Same to you. Be careful, and don't forget me over there, okay?!" Maho's smile brightened as she set the prettily wrapped box in Sorako's hands. When Sorako hesitated to open it, Maho added: "Go ahead, open it! It's your... going away... present," nearly choking on the repulsive words.

While untying the ribbon, Sorako reassured her friend that best friends were never forgotten. Opening the box, Sorako saw a pair of wide silver hoops, with a diameter of about an inch and a half, all ready to go in the piercings she had gotten a year ago. She gave her friend a hug, receiving only a "Look closer, Skye," in return. Upon closer inspection, she saw small words engraved into each one. She bent over them, trying to make out the elegant lettering.

"Skye and Maho, BFF!" She read out loud, before turning to the younger girl and giving her a bear hug. "Thank you, Maho!! I'll cherish these forever!" Then she jumped up and ran to where her small purse sat, grabbing a mirror. She ran back to the spot she had just vacated, and began sliding the earrings into her ears, replacing a basic pair of studs with them. She heard a call from down stairs; her eldest sister, Ginami, was calling for her, following it with better Japanese than Sorako's.

"Sorako! Time to leave! We have a plane to catch!"

Sorako sighed, opening the door so she could be heard better. "Hai, onee-chan. I'm coming!" Sorako replied in Japanese, as her father had re-begun demanding four years ago. Everyone spoke Japanese at home, to keep their language skills sharp. Her father was a bit of a tyrant at home.

Switching back to English, she turned back towards Maho, after grabbing her purse and carry-on. She silently linked her arm through the younger girl's, tears dripping from both girls' eyes, as they both exited Sorako's room for the last time.

--End Flashback--

Sorako set the scrapbook down and walked back to her room to get ready for her errands. She reached her bedside table and picked up the precious hoops. She smiled nostalgically at the now-faded engraving they bore. It was still there; harder to read, perhaps, and the silver was beginning to tarnish, but they were still precious. Putting them carefully back in, Sorako stood up, pulled her black jacket off it's hook, and went outside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Unfortunately. Except Sorako, and I do own her. And the plot, kind of....**

**--Recap--**

She reached her bedside table and picked up the precious hoops. She smiled nostalgically at the now-faded engraving they bore. It was still there; harder to read, perhaps, and the silver was beginning to tarnish, but they were still precious. Putting them carefully back in, Sorako stood up, pulled her black jacket off it's hook, and went outside.

**Chapter 3**

Sorako unlocked her bike from the bike rack and climbed on, heading down the street. A ways down, she stopped, right outside of a park. She stood there for a minute, just watching the kids play. It was mostly toddlers, as the older kids were still in school, but they looked like they were having a lot of fun. She spotted a little boy, who seemed to be about 5 or so, chasing after his younger sister, who was probably about four-ish. Both kids were shrieking in joy. Sorako smiled warmly, remembering Ginami's stories about her and Kioshi playing like that before Arata was born. Before their father got that deep, stressed crease in his forehead. Before their mother's immune system had started slowly disintegrating.

She began pedaling again, heading for Ingvey instrument store, where she had applied for a second job. Not long after leaving America, she had taken up piano lessons, as it seemed to be an excellent outlet of her frustration, and she loved it. So now, after having moved out of her parent's house, she'd been trying to save up for a piano or keyboard of her own. Of course, it couldn't be some pathetic keyboard; that wouldn't do at all. It had to be fairly decent, and at a price that her rather meager budget would afford. She never noticed one of her beloved hoops fall off just outside of the store.

"Takano-san? Are you here?" Sorako called as she pushed open the door, hearing the light sound of the bell that stood over the door. Seeing the burly long-haired man standing behind the counter, she greeted him with a warm, "Konnichiwa, Takano-san." Her brother had brought her to this store nearly five years ago, after her first (and last) recital on a baby grand, to buy her a keyboard. She had bounced around like a careless five-year-old instead of the almost-fourteen-year-old she had been. In her excitement, she had accidentally knocked over three guitars and two keyboards, as her brother sat testing out a new guitar. It was no wonder, then, that the rather strange shopkeeper glared at her every time she entered the shop.

"Have you considered the job application I submitted?" When he failed to respond, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Don't give me that; I've grown up some these past five years. I'm in my last year of high school now, and I haven't destroyed anything in your shop since that first time." Her argument sounded good to her ears, and she hoped it would affect him positively.

After another suspicious pause, the long-haired manger finally replied. "I've considered it. But I can't afford to hire another assistant. Am I correct in guessing you're saving up for a new piano?" At her nod, he spoke again, his harsh demeanor softened slightly. "Well, how about a lease-to-own plan? With a decent interest rate, of course."

Sorako considered this option. She knew that what Takano-san considered "decent" she may consider "outrageous." Moving towards a decent keyboard, a Yamaha full-size portable electronic grand (model number DGX203, as she knew from her research, as well as Hioshi's recommendations) that she saw on the wall, she took a deep breath. "O-k. Say I did this lease-to-own plan you suggest. How much would I pay for this one, and how often?" She'd done enough research to know it's worth, and the best prices she could find it at, but she knew this store was reliable, and no careless employee would dare drop a box and risk ruining it's contents, and that gave her a sort of inner peace. Also, Takano was always willing to fix anything he sold, if he could find the time. She hoped it'd balance out with the price.

Takano told her how much she'd pay per month for that keyboard. Sorako was silent for a minute as she calculated. _If I stopped buying CD's for the next six months, I think I could make it work. Oh! I'll need to clear a space for it... If I moved that tall lamp into the corner, I could fit a keyboard next to it... and that microwave box would make a suitable stand if turned on it's end..._

"Okay, I'll take it. How much is the down payment?" Hioshi had taught Sorako about business and money, which was really the only reason that at seventeen she had a job, an apartment, a cell phone, and a laptop all of her own, without any debt whatsoever, while still putting herself through high school. The apartment was under Hioshi's name, since a parent signature was required for minors, but Sorako was dutiful about sending him the money every month. The cell was pre-paid, and she was always aware of her remaining minutes. She also had a cheap CD player, with a relatively small stack of CD's. Of course, it helped that Hioshi and Ginami sent her some money each Christmas and birthday, and she felt no need for a TV or a home phone.

After giving Takano-san the required down payment as well as the money he charged for the evening delivery she requested (for it would be hard to tote her new piano home with only a bike, although her bike faithfully got her wherever she needed to be), Sorako pulled the door open, hearing the little cling of the bell as she exited.

**-- An hour later (slight POV change)--**

Minami Maho was trying to find her rather obnoxious half-brother. Again. The stupid boy had turned off his cell phone, or had let it die. Again. So Maho was wandering around, trying to find him. She'd already checked the pond, and was now headed to the music store Ray always went to. He had mentioned something about his guitar, hadn't he? Checking might not be a bad idea, anyways.

She stopped about fifteen meters short of the door as something caught her eye. It was a sliver of silver, lying in a slowly-drying mud puddle. She picked it up, out of curiosity. It was a silver hoop, with some kind of design engraved in it, but she couldn't make out the design clearly, due to the mud that was caking on it. She began twisting it in her fingers as she walked inside.

"Takano-san, have you seen Ryuusuke? I can't find him, and his cell's off. Again." The partially-wet muck did not want to come off the earring, which added to Maho's frustration.

"Not recently," came the response, followed by a pause. "What's that you're fiddling with?"

Maho held up the slightly cleaner hoop. "This earring; it's got some sort of engraving on it, but it's so covered with mud that I can't tell what it is..." Takano handed her a baby wipe, which he kept around the store because they picked up the dust, dirt, and fingerprints without hurting the instruments. "Oh, domo arigatou." She scrubbed at the earring a bit more, the baby wipe easily pulling off the muck. Suddenly she gasped, loudly and violently, nearly dropping the silver piece in her shock.

"No. WAY! Takano-san, do you know where the person who lost this earring might live? A girl named Sk- I mean, um, Kimura Sorako?"

Takano grimaced. _There has to be a story there, _thought Maho, before she tuned back in to hear his reply. "Yes. In fact, I have to make a delivery to her place in about an hour and a half. I thought that it was strange that she was only wearing one earring, but she seemed unconcerned, so I kept quiet. I thought maybe she was starting a trend. Wanna make the delivery for me? You can use the truck, and hand her the earring then." A slight pause. "Are you sure it's hers?"

"Yes, I'm positive." Maho replied with finality, smiling at the old guitar player. "I'll do the delivery for you." _She probably didn't even realize she dropped it, she always was somewhat scatter-brained, _ Maho thought. "I'll be back in a little over an hour; I still gotta find Ryuusuke. See ya! She walked out the door and back down the street, the earring resting in her pocket.

**--- --- --- --- --- **

Sorako had completed her errands successfully. When she finally reached home with her groceries, she plopped down on her bed, extraordinarily grateful that she did not have to work today. She had been asleep within minutes. She dreamed a strange dream, in that relatively short amount of time. Strange, but pleasant nonetheless. A dream that was, in typical dream fashion, interrupted by her cell ringing. She sat up, and glanced at the number.

Telemarketer. Blech. She pushed the END button causing the phone to go back to standby, which showed the time.

Sorako let out a little shriek as she jumped up. Her keyboard was scheduled to come in fifteen minutes! Somehow, her ten-minute nap had turned into a hour-and-ten-minute nap. Scrambling into her small, white bathroom, she quickly brushed her hair and fixed the smudges on her makeup. And then she noticed and produced another little shriek.

"My earring! Oh no, where's my earring?! I have to find it!!" She ran back to her room and practically ransacked it in search of the precious earring. Ten minutes later, she was about ready to grab her bike and double back from her earlier ride, when the doorbell rang._That's the keyboard delivery. Maybe Takano-san saw the earring!_ Sorako rushed to open the door and saw only the vertical keyboard box trying to move forward.

"Delivery from Ingvey," called a female voice from behind the box. Sorako grabbed the top of the box and heaved it into her small living room, revealing a fairly small girl wearing a baseball cap. "There you go." A slight pause. "Oh, and, um, did you lose an earring, miss?"

The worry crept back into Sorako's composure. "Yes! Was it found? Oh, please say it was!"

The delivery girl pushed back her cap before digging the missing hoop out her jeans pocket. With a grin, she handed it to Sorako. "Takano-san asked me to deliver it with the keyboard."

"Domo arigatou! Domo arigatou gozaimasu... um....?" Sorako shot a questioning look at the girl, who grinned wider as she removed her hat.

"Minami. Minami Maho. Pleased to meet you, again.... Skye." Sorako's jaw almost hit the ground.

**A/N: Thank you to all the lovely people who have reviewed, favorited, or alerted on this story. I love you all!! I will try to post the next chapter or two soon, but I do still have to type them... Please let me know if there are any mistakes, and I'm sorry for any OOC-ness. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry about all the filler chapters. I keep trying to create a little suspense, but I'll try to lessen that. This chapter was originally two (and a half) chapters, but I decided to combine them. So it's going to be pretty long. Sorry in advance, but you probably won't mind too much, right? XD This will be the last filler chappie for quite a while, I promise.**

**Disclaimer: Only Sorako and the plot are mine. And Ginami. And Riaki. Unfortunately, because I'd love to own Taira. But, oh well.**

**--Recap--**

"Minami. Minami Maho. Pleased to meet you, again.... Skye." Sorako's jaw almost hit the ground.

**Chapter 4**

"Maho...?! NO WAY! You're in Japan?! Since when?! Oh my GOSH!!" Sorako exuberantly hugged Maho, who kept grinning and hugged her back just as ferociously. "You have time to come in for some tea or something? I'd love to catch up, we've been apart for FOR-EV-ER!"

Maho checked her watch. "Yeah, I think I have some time." Sorako grinned and opened the door wider to admit her friend.

"Then come on in! Take off your shoes and chill on my couch while I fix us some tea. How've you been? How long have you been in Japan? Is that pesky half-brother of yours here, too?"Sorako said, leading her friend into the cramped living room and gesturing to the second-hand couch.

"Whoa, Skye. Slow down some, girl. I've been doing pretty well; no complaints... well, not serious ones anyways. Yeah, Ray's here too; we've been in Japan for two years now. I- " Maho responded in English before Sorako interrupted, in her broken and unused English as she put her earring back on.

"Two years?! Two years and you just now find me? Hmph. You some friend." Sorako commented, jokingly indignant.

"Skye, come on. I had literally nothing to go on. Ever since you changed your email address four years ago, we haven't even communicated, because YOU NEVER GAVE ME THE NEW ONE. How should I have found you?" Sorako shrugged, completely conceding Maho's point, who then changed the subject. "You haven't been speaking in English very much, have you?"

Sorako looked at the ground ashamedly. "There not much use for it here. My English good in my class, but I forgot some." She poured water into her kettle and set it on the stove to heat up.

"Okay, then....want to practice your English, or wanna help me with my Japanese?" Maho queried with a smile.

"Well, Japanese is easier. Besides, if you've lived here two years, your Japanese probably doesn't need much help. So it'll be easier to converse in Japanese than listen to me stumble through English." Sorako announced in said language, still a bit ashamed.

"It wasn't THAT bad." Maho replied, also in Japanese, making a face. "You just... haven't practiced much... and it's pretty obvious...."

Sorako snorted softly in disbelief. Even practicing wouldn't make her much better. "Ri-i-i-i-ght. I have the overall English vocabulary of maybe a ten-year old. I think it's safe to say there's no hope for me for a while." Maho laughed in reply as the kettle whistled. Sorako poured the water into the cups, covering the teabags, then brought the tea out to where her friend was sitting. The continued talking about all sorts of things for quite a while.

Then Maho glanced towards the window to see that it was nearly dark outside. "Sorry, Skye, but I'm gonna have to go. Got an email address or a cell number, so I can contact you later?"

"Yeah. Hang on, let me write it down for you," Sorako replied as she dug a random receipt out of her purse with a pen. Scribbling down her email address and cell phone number, she tore the receipt in half. She handed the blank part to Maho with the pen, expecting the same in return. Maho willingly complied, scribbling down her information before switching papers with Sorako.

"Call me when you get the chance and I'll see what I can do to juggle my schedule. I'm so glad I graduate this year, it'll make life much easier and less stressful." Sorako sighed. Maho chuckled enviously.

"Lucky. I've still got another year of school. Plus, I get to juggle my boyfriend, who you'll have to meet, Ray's band, and maybe a job in the near future....I'm gonna go crazy!"

Sorako grinned as they both stood up. "Haha, sounds fun!" Maho glared at her, but that became a smile as the two girls hugged again, then Sorako walked next to Maho the few steps before the door.

"Ja ne, Skye!"

"Ja ne, Maho!" Sorako called back. She waited until her door was completely shut before heaving a nostalgic sigh and walking back to her miniature kitchen to fix a cup of instant ramen, which she ate while watching a movie.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Sorako woke up with her usual ease the next morning, just before the sun made it's appearance. She threw back the covers and grabbed her jade-green bathrobe. Wrapping it securely around her, she practically glided to her small, eastern-facing, living room window, with slipper-clad feet, waiting patiently, but with slightly bleary eyes. The view was only partially obscured by the building across the street, something Sorako was extremely grateful for.

The sunrise was beautiful this morning; the sky was a warm, bright pink, streaked with purple and accented by orange. The moon still shone palely above Japan as its namesake began twisting himself around Sorako's ankles, silently pleading for his breakfast. She scooped him up, absentmindedly petting him as she watched the sky continue to brighten with the upcoming day. She only stopped staring at the colors in the sky when Tsuki began meowing impatiently from her arms.

"Okay, Bossy-san. One breakfast, coming up..." Sorako said with a sigh as she turned towards her small kitchen, setting the cat down so he could follow her while she fixed his meal. She reached into a small cupboard and grabbed a small, flat can. She popped it open and was immediately assaulted with the appalling smell of the disgusting-looking mash. She hurriedly dumped it into the cat bowl that sat on the floor, leaving the room as Tsuki chowed down as if he were starving to death.(1) Sorako turned towards her bedroom, braiding her hair into a tight braid as she walked. She grabbed her neatly-pressed school uniform off the hanger and quickly changed into it. Seeing, Tsuki amble in through the open door for a post-breakfast nap, Sorako walked the ten steps back to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast for herself. She ate quickly, then opened the door of her apartment and untied her well-used bike before climbing on and pedaling to school, a set of "work"clothes in the backpack she carried.

She worked through the school day, half out of it due to thoughts of a certain bleached-blond bassist. Before she was really aware of it, her morning classes were over and it was time for lunch. She decided to go up to the roof to try to clear her thoughts. Once there, she leaned against the railing, enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through the short curls that had managed to escape her braid. She jumped when she heard a voice behind her.

"Okay, Sorako, what's wrong? I haven't seen you this... dazed since...the day we heard about... nee-chan." Ginami, just out of college, had already managed to become one of the counselors at Sorako's school.

Sorako sighed, trying to calm her heart rate after the shock she'd received. "How'd you know I was out here, onee-chan?" She wasn't dodging the question. Of course not!... Okay, maybe a bit....

Ginami grinned and shrugged, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Saw you walking and followed you, of course. Now answer the question; why are you walking around in a daze, like you have a crush?"

Sorako lost the battle with herself and blushed. Ginami had due reason to ask that; Sorako's last crush had been a little over two years ago, on a guy that was a year older than Sorako. He was also the last boyfriend Arata had, and the one who was driving the car that killed her. After that double whammy of betrayal, Sorako's heart had sort of switched off around boys.

The blush did not escape Ginami's notice, and Ginami's squeal could've been heard across town. "NO WAY! My imouto has a crush again, after all this time!? Who is he? You have to tell me about him...onegai?"

Sorako blushed harder, but obliged. "Well... I actually don't know a whole lot about him. He came into the store, we talked some as I tried to help him... He seemed like a nice guy. Very polite, very cute... he's in a band..."

"Ooh! What's his name?"

Sorako turned towards her sister with a somewhat embarrassed smile. "Taira Yoshiyuki." She barely managed to cover her ears as her sister squealed again, jumping around this time like their roles as teacher and student had been reversed. Ginami had gone with her to Grateful Sound that year, and was even more of a fan than Sorako. After a few minutes, Sorako finally deemed it safe to uncover her ears.

"From Mongolian Chop Squad?!" Sorako nodded. "The sexy bassist?!Aaaah! No WAY!!!! I'm so jealous! You actually got to meet him? Live and in person? Kami, why does my little sister have all the luck?" Ginami sighed, slumping momentarily, then straightening again. "Did it seem like he liked you?" Sorako shrugged, giggling at her sister's antics. The shrug brought Ginami down from the clouds a little. "He should! Ah, I'm jealous...."

Sorako kept giggling at her sister's enthusiasm, with Ginami joining in after a few more seconds. The moment soon ended, though, as another female voice was heard behind them.

"Kimura-sensei? The principal is looking for you...." Ginami sighed and turned, straightening her clothing and flashing the student messenger a warm, professional smile.

"Hai. Arigatou, Okawa-san. Ato de, Sorako-chan." Sorako waved at her sister, who mouthed, "Try to focus anyways!" with a wink. Sorako turned back towards the railing to hide her blush, even though she was alone again.

Soon the solitude was interrupted by the ringing of the lunch bell, but even that annoyance couldn't shake off Sorako's day-dreaming daze. It continued for the rest of the school day, even when the final bell rang noisily. Her body moving on auto-pilot, she grabbed her back and rushed to the nearest girl's room. She quickly switched her school uniform for the less pristine black pants, silver tanktop, and favorite black jacket. She unbraided her hair as her feet carried her to the bike rack where she had chained her bike. Unchaining it, she jumped on and began pedaling.

She rode along the familiar route in a hurry, her backpack thumping almost painfully against her back, Before long, she was pulling around the back of the store, parking as she jumped off in a practiced move. Before dropping her stuff by the back door, she dug her name badge out of her backpack. She clocked in and dashed through the storage room to the counter.

"Hey, Sorako-chan."

"Hey, Riaki-chan." Riaki was her only co-worker, an exuberant girl of nineteen who often wore her hair in radical styles and dyed it strange colors. Although older than Sorako, she had worked here for not quite a year, where Sorako had worked here for more than a year and a half.

"You're early today." Sorako looked at her questioningly, then looked down at her watch. Indeed, she was about ten minutes early. "And Boss left something for you...." Riaki dug through her jeans pockets for a minute before pulling out a folded piece of lined paper. "Here you go!"

Sorako took the proffered note, a slight, hopeful smile on her face. It stated, in short, that the CD's had been ordered, rush delivery and should arrive within a week. As she finished reading it, Sorako let out a loud whoop, startling a customer who had just come to the desk to purchase a magazine and a CD. Blushing in embarrassment, she muttered a quick "Gomen nasai" before she ran back to the back door of the storage room and the cell phone that lay in her purse. She pulled it out, then rifled through her purse until she found what she was looking for; a half-sheet of notebook paper with a phone number on it. She dialed the number with shaking hands.

Sorako listened intently as it rang once.

Twice.

Thr- "Moshi-moshi." Despite her listening, Sorako nearly jumped in surprise, thankful that she was in a fairly dark room that would hide the blush that spread across her face.

"Yes, Is this Taira Yoshiyuki- kun?" she clarified, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Hai, " came the lovely response amidst background voices.

"This is Kimura Sorako from Toigaku Shoten. I'm just calling to tell you that the CD's you requested have been ordered, and should be in before next Monday.

"Hai. Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Sorako-san." Oh, how Sorako loved his voice. No. She shouldn't be falling this hard, she barely knew the guy!

"Sorako-chan! Hurry!" Sorako heard Riaki call through the slightly open door.

"No problem, Taira-kun. Ja' ne!" She hung up before she received another response, quickly saving the number in her phone before going back to work.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Did I do okay? I tried to make it flow, but I'm feeling like I rushed it. But I'm going to post it anyways, because I feel bad for not updating sooner. And it's not nearly as long as I'd wanted it to be.... Anyways, next chapter focuses on Taira! And sort of the rest of Beck. But mostly Taira.**

**(1)Ok, so, as I wrote this part, I totally had a Reborn! Moment..... If you read Reborn, and can guess what I was thinking, you get a cookie. So yeah....**

**Oh yeah! Thanks to the person who unknowingly encouraged me to write again, Kohakuhime Of Konoha. She's a darling person. You all should send her love.**

**Ja' ne!!**

**3, Aya-chan**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Enjoy!!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Beck. Just Sorako, Riaki, Toigaku Shoten, and the plot. **

_**Chapter 5 **_

Beck was having a practice session halfway across town when Taira's phone started to ring. He struggled to get it out of his jean's pocket, then accidently dropped it. He snatched it up to the snickering of the others, and quickly flipped it open.

"Moshi-moshi," he answered politely, as Koyuki and Saku stopped laughing and started talking, making Ryuusuke and Chiba calm down to be able to listen in. Taira had to listen closely for the soft response through the tinny speakers.

"Yes, is this Taira Yoshiyuki-kun?" The voice was vaguely familiar, but Taira wasn't sure… Could it have been…?

"Hai," he responded cautiously, scared that it might be a fangirl who had gotten hold of his number. Koyuki and Saku's background conversation moved to girls and dates, and Taira rolled his eyes.

"This is Kimura Sorako, from Toigaku Shoten." Taira breathed an inaudible sigh of relief, as a smile crept onto his face. _The pretty girl from the shop…"_The CD's you requested have been ordered, and should be in within the week."

His smile brightened. "Understood. Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Sorako-san." He faintly heard someone calling her in the background.

"Do itashtamashite, Taira-kun. Ja ne." He heard a click, signaling that the conversation was over. He pushed a few quick buttons to save the number to his phone, then slid it back into his pocket.

"'Sorako-san?' That sounds like a girl's name, Taira. When'd you get a girlfriend, huh?" Ryuusuke, of course, could not resist teasing the blonde, who gave him a glare for his trouble.

"She's not my girlfriend." Of course they were listening. Taira sighed as his mind added a 'yet' to his sentence. "Anyways, we're here to practice aren't we? We don't have to pay for a place to hang out and talk. We can do that anywhere."

Koyuki nodded, ending his conversation with Saku. Chiba nodded, but with a grin and a wink thrown Ryuusuke's direction. Ryuusuke, however, continued his jibing.

"But you like her, eh, Taira?" He got a pick* and a glare thrown at him.

"Urusai, baka. Let's play," came Taira's response, accompanied by an almost unseen blush. Ryuusuke chuckled, then started playing the opening chords of "Tabasco," encouraging the others to join in.

45 minutes later, their allotted practice time was over and they were all headed to grab a bite to eat, when Chiba started it up again.

"So, this 'Sorako'… She hot?"

Taira groaned, knowing that they would not let up until their curiosity was satisfied. "Ok, fine, I give. Yes, she's gorgeous. I've only known her about two days, and, before you ask, she was a clerk in one of the stores we were looking for the CD in. She's not my girlfriend, but she seems nice and I'd have no objections to changing that. She called to let me know that, at my request, her store ordered some of our CD and they should be in within a week. Any other questions?"

It took several minutes for them to thoroughly process that information, but soon there came a chorus of responses.

"Not for now," came Ryuusuke's.

"Nope," was Chiba's bit of brilliance.

"That's cool, man. She sounds nice," Koyuki said laughing, as Saku nodded. Before too long, their orders had been taken and brought out. They began eating and talking about the next gig before Ryuusuke randomly changed the subject.

"So, Taira, this 'gorgeous' girl; what's she look like?"

"Ooh, what girl? Does Taira have a girlfriend?" Trust Maho to find them at an inopportune time. Taira crossed his fingers under the table as Koyuki jumped up to find his girlfriend a chair, hoping that the question would be forgotten in the shuffle. No such luck; the chair was found and placed next to Koyuki's seat. Maho asked again as she sat down.

Ryuusuke answered for Taira, who had hastily shoved a bite of hot food in his mouth as Maho had sat, and was now breathing hard, trying to cool down the food in his mouth. "Not yet. But he's met someone…."

Maho grinned teasingly at Taira. "Oh? What's she like? She like music?"

Taira blushed slightly. "Yes, she does, at least so I would assume. She works in a CD and book store. She's … kind. Polite. Really hot." Maho laughed as Chiba repeated Ryuusuke's question.

"What's she look like?"

Taira smirked. "Beautiful. You'll have to meet her."

"Aw, come on, man… That's not cool. Damn, now I'm curious," Chiba complained, causing Taira's smirk to grow some.

"If it bothers you so much, you can tag along this Sunday when I go to the store to buy one of the CD's for my parents. I have to thank her, too.

Chiba grinned deviously. "Great. I'm in."

"Yeah, me too." Ryuusuke said as he tied his long hair back, obviously frustrated with it falling in his food.

"Aw, man, I wanna come! I'm gonna have to see if I can rearrange my Sunday…." Maho looked dejected. Taira sent a sympathetic look her way.

"Okay, then. Now drop it until then, ok?" The others nodded reluctantly, switching back to talk about gigs and girls.

-~That weekend~-

Taira strolled casually into the almost deserted store to the sound of the tinkly bell, Chiba and Ryuusuke not far behind. Looking around, he saw a small display of the Beck CD, complete with some pictures that must have been taken at Grateful Sound. He was snapped out of his intrigue by a voice calling from behind the counter. "Irasshaimasu."

He turned to see a female clerk who was not Sorako. Her name tag read Yamada Riaki in blood-red kanji. Trying not to show his disappointment, he cautiously asked, "Um, is Sorako-san here today?"

"Iie. Gomen. She called in sick today; I was a last-minute replacement. Really unusual for her, but I think she just wore herself out. She had a test today, but last night she insisted on perfecting the display, even though I told her she shouldn't. She even brought in some of her own pictures…"

"Really? Wow, she's pretty dedicated…. Did she put that together by herself?" Ryuusuke asked as Taira was wallowing in his disappointment, gesturing to the display.

"Yeah. It was pretty slow last night, and apparently she's quite fond of that band." Chiba started snickering, and Riaki nodded. "Yeah, I don't understand why." The snickering stopped, replaced by a glare. "I listened to that CD; it's not the best. But Sorako-chan's been going on and on about them, especially lately." Taira walked over to the display, bending down so he was close to the pictures, looking at them as Ryuusuke and Chiba followed. The sales-lady came closer too, sensing a sale, and then gasped.

Riaki hadn't looked closely at the display before. The pictures were vivid and beautiful, and the colors around them contrasted well. But that wasn't what made her gasp. Most of the pictures showed the three men that were now in the shop, along with two others.

"Oh, kami! I meant no offense, sirs. I had no clue. I-"

"It's ok. You're not the first to say that the CD wasn't amazing. She went to a lot of trouble for this, though…." Taira drifted off, wondering how he could thank her. He absentmindedly picked up a CD. "I think I'll buy this." He started walking to the counter.

"Dude, we'll meet you outside. Chiba's gonna need to chill some." Ryuusuke said, pushing the still-glaring guy outside. Taira nodded his agreement, as Riaki slipped behind the counter.

Once the others were outside, Taira quietly asked, "Do you have Sorako-san's address? I'd like to take her some flowers as a thank-you for all the trouble she's gone through for this."

Riaki smiled warmly, somewhat surprised. "Yeah. I'll write it on your receipt, okay?"

"Domo arigatou." The receipt printed, and Riaki quickly scribbled down the address, before shoving it in the bag with the CD.

"Thank you. Please come again!" Riaki said cheerily, smile still in place. Taira nodded, walking out of the store.

--POV change: Sorako—

-~Time skip~-

Sorako had tried to go to work. Really she had. Unfortunately, one of her friends had come to school with a lingering cold, and had ever-so-kindly passed it on to Sorako. So after spending half an hour throwing up, she was now laying on the couch, sitting up occasionally to sip a lemon-lime soda and mentally cursing her friend.

_Dammit! I can't afford to be sick! That only gives me one more day that I can possibly take off this month, before I'm not able to pay the bills. And I really shouldn't ask Boss for another cash advance… I've had to get two of those this year! Stupid Yuki-chan! Getting me sick…_

Sorako hated getting sick, and not just because it made it difficult to pay her bills and school fees. It also put her behind in school and made her feel inferior to other students, a feeling she was not entirely used to.

A knock on the door interrupted her brooding. She slowly pushed herself up, and managed not to trip as she walked towards the door. She opened it slowly to reveal…

A bouquet of flowers. And hidden behind the flowers was bleached-blonde hair and tan skin.

Sorako gasped. "Um… Konnichiwa… Taira-kun…."

He smiled. "Your coworker told me you were sick today… I wanted to thank you for all the trouble you went to for our CD, so I asked her for your address. Um…These are for you. I hope you like daffodils…"

A smile swept across Sorako's sickly pale face. "um…Domo arigatou gozaimasu… they're beautiful…But… it wasn't necessary…."

"Yes it was. You troubled yourself so much… you brought your own pictures to create a display! The least I can do is give you some flowers…"

Sorako blushed, taking the flowers from his proffered hand. "Okay. I do appreciate them…I'd invite you in, but… I don't wanna get you sick…"

Taira grinned. "Don't worry; I'm pretty sick-resistant."

"Then, would you like to come in for a while?"

"I'd be delighted, Sorako-san."

Sorako stepped back to make room in the doorway for him to come in. He stepped in, bumping his head slightly against the low door-frame.

"Gomen…"

"Do itashitemashite. I should've ducked. You go sit down, you look like you'll fall over any second."

"But I have to find a vase for these flowers…"

Taira gently took them from her. "Let me do that; please, go sit. I wouldn't know who to call if you hurt yourself by fainting," he teased slightly. Sorako blushed, but did as told. Taira quickly found the kitchen and began opening the few cupboard doors.

"There should be one above the refrigerator." Taira opened a drawer above the mini-fridge and found several vases laid on their sides. He picked one and filled it with water, then carefully slid the flowers into it.

Walking back out to where Sorako sat, he asked with a smile, "Where would you like these?"

"Um… Just on the table here. Domo arigatou gozaimasu, Taira-kun. Would you like to have a seat?" Sorako indicated a cheap chair that Ginami had dragged closer to the couch when she'd visited earlier.

Taira shrugged and sat. "So have you listened to the CD yet?"

"Yeah. I got the first copy, although I had to beg my boss for it. It's not as… amazing… as Grateful Sound was, but with some further editing, it sounds much better. In fact… um, I kind of took the liberty of tweaking it with my computer… Wanna hear?"

"Sure. A lot of people are saying that it pretty much sucks, so I'd love to hear a 'tweaking'."

Sorako pulled her laptop out from its case, which was resting next to the side of the couch. She quickly booted it up. The software she had tweaked it with had been a birthday gift from Hioshi on her sixteenth birthday, but it still worked nicely. "Okay. So first I'll play the original version of this song, then I'll let you listen to the tweaked version." Without waiting for a response, she clicked on the original track. Music played powerfully from small speakers. All parts of the song were heard, somewhat unequally, and Taira understood where the criticism was coming from.

"Okay, now my mix." Sorako said as she clicked the button that would play the file. Taira nodded, agreeing with the more pleasant balance of sounds. She'd turned Chiba's harsher vocals down in some spots, and softened Koyuki's rough guitar playing. The bass line threaded in and out more fluently, mixing with Saku's drums and Chiba's vocals and different points. It still had that distinctive Beck sound, but better balance than it had before.

"That's good. I like the way you balanced it out. You've got a real talent for 'tweaking'… Have you considered becoming a CD producer?" Taira asked as the song drew to a close.

Sorako felt blood rushing to her cheeks. "Um… No, not really. I don't think I could…. I'm glad you liked it, though."

Taira smiled warmly. "You should try for it. I think you'd be good at it."

"Domo arigatou… Is it fun, being in a band?"

"Eh, it has its moments, good and bad. But I'd say that in general, it's pretty fun. Beck… makes sure my life is never boring. Which can lose its appeal after a while."

"Oh." Sorako was quiet for a minute, before she suddenly started pulling herself off the couch. "Oh, no! I'm being a bad hostess. Would you like some tea or something to drink?" Standing up, she felt a flash of dizziness, but that faded after a few seconds.

"No, thank you. Please, don't trouble yourself for me." Taira responded politely.

"Well, I ought to get some hot tea for my throat anyways. It'd be no extra trouble to fix two cups, if you want to change your mind."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure. Green tea okay?" Taira nodded, vaguely concerned about the pale tone to her skin.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. I got it. Just give me a few minutes." Soft clinking sounds were heard, followed by the sound of running water hitting metal. Then metal hit metal, obviously as she set a kettle on the stove. Sorako came back into sight and leaned against the wall.

"So, besides Beck, who's your favorite band? Or artist?"

"Past or present?"

"Either."

"Hmm… I'd say Jimmy Hendrix. He had some serious talent."

"Yeah, I would've loved to meet him. He was good. But I'd say my favorite has to be Elvis."

"The King, huh? Interesting choice, but I can understand why. He had some good stuff."

The kettle whistled, and Sorako gave a smile as she went to pour tea. She came back and handed her guest a cup of steaming green tea.

"Domo." Taira took a sip, then winced.

"Is it bitter?"

"No. Just hot. Gotta be more careful, is all." Sorako laughed softly as she blew on her own tea.

After a few more minutes of tea-sipping and casual chatting, Taira thanked Sorako for the tea, and stood to leave. Sorako moved to stand to escort him to the door.

"No, don't get up. Rest. Get feeling better. I can show myself to the door."

"… Okay…. If you'd like to come by again when I'm feeling better, I wouldn't mind. I promise I'll be a better hostess…"

Taira gave her a sympathetic look. "Thank you for the offer, Sorako-san. I may take you up on that."

Sorako smiled and waved, then collapsed once the door had shut, but with a beauteous smile on her wan face.

**A/N: I'm actually quite proud of myself. I managed to make this chapter pretty long ( seven pages) and about half the time I was typing without a written copy, because I was lazy and only wrote half the chapter. I think it turned out quite well, too. And, just to clarify, Riaki will be making many appearances, but she's not going to be central to the plot, and neither are Sorako's siblings.**

**Hugs and cookies to all my darling reviewers!!**

**R&R!!**

**3, Aya-chan**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello again! So, someone told me that Sorako seemed too Mary Sue-ish, with too many tragic events in the past. I really tried to make her not one. The only truly tragic event was Arata's death. Yes, she was sad when she left America, but it wasn't tragic. And later it will be obvious that she's quite happy away from her parents, especially since she still gets to see her siblings. **

**Sorry it took so long to write. And after I get back from camp, I promise to type and put up two chapters, both of which are fairly long. So please enjoy Chapter 6.**

**And I still do not own Beck. Unfortunately..... XP**

**Chapter 6**

"Really?! Oh my gosh! Sorako-chan, that's fabulous!" Sorako winced at her sister's unprofessionally loud squeal. The sister's were sitting in Ginami's office, almost an hour before school started, and Sorako had just made the mistake of telling her sister about Taira's visit. Hence the squealing.

"Itai.... Do ya have to bust my eardrums, Ginami-neechan?" Sorako asked, rubbing her ears for dramatic effect.

"Gomen.... I'm just so excited for you!"

Sorako grinned sheepishly and blushed before admitting, "Yeah, me too. But I would've preferred him NOT seeing me so sick..."

"But he brought you flowers – he practically asked you out!"

"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself, Ginami. There's always the possibility that nothing will come of it."

Ginami scoffed at her sister's version of realism. "Come on, the guy brought you daffodils! Do you know what daffodils mean in the language of flowers?! Uncertainty, respect, -"

"And unrequited love. Yes, I know. But I'm trying to be realistic, here, sis. He's on his way to stardom. And I'm just a clerk in a small store. Plus, in Japan it only means respect."

"I am being realistic. Before the other day, the two of you had met once and talked on the phone once, briefly, right? Think about it – he had no reason to buy you flowers and deliver them in person; he could've just sent a thank-you card! He likes you, Sorako. And you like him. You can allow yourself to be excited about this!"

Sorako gave a hesitant smile. "Perhaps, but you are TOO excited, onee-chan. Or have you forgotten that you are happily married?" Sorako asked, tapping the ring on her sister's finger.

"Like I could forget-" Sorako gave her sister a questioning look as she interrupted herself. "I'm guessing you're trying to change the subject?" Sorako nodded ferociously. Ginami seemed to be debating whether to give in or not. After another moment's pause, Ginami announced, "I'm pregnant," while quickly covering her ears.

It was Sorako's turn to release a deafening squeal, right as her phone rang. Sorako gave her sister a quick hug, then excused herself to answer the phone, stepping just outside the door.

"Moshi-moshi."

"Skye! Wanna come see Ray's band play tonight?"

Sorako laughed at the eagerness in her friend's voice. "Hey Maho. What time?"

"Starts at 9."

Sorako mentally checked her work schedule for the night. She got off at eight-thirty. "Yeah, I should be able to make it. How much are the tickets?"

"I got yours – I'll have one of my friends bring it over to your work, okay?"

Sorako smiled, not that her childhood friend could see it through the phone. "Ok. Tell that brother of yours I say hi. I owe you one, Maho."

Maho started giggling. "Yeah. You do. See ya later okay?"

"Okay. Bye." Sorako hung up, puzzled by Maho's giddiness. Shaking it off, she stepped back into her sister's office, to continue her conversation with her sister.

_/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\_

After school ended, Sorako made her typical dash through the restrooms, feeling a bit like Superman, or rather Superwoman, as she changed from her school uniform to her work clothes. She was soon back at work, relieving the boss's tired wife from her shift. And as she was about two hours into her shift, the bell above the door rang for the first time that evening.

"Irrashaimasu." She called with a fake smile. The smile became real when she saw who walked through the door.

"Who would've thought that Maho's dear friend 'Skye' would end up being you, ne, Sorako-san?"

"Konnichiwa, Taira-kun. I'm guessing you're the one Maho asked to bring the ticket, then?"

"I wish I could say that I just decided to drop by, but Maho can be pretty persuasive. Not that I didn't want to meet you again – but I thought I was just delivering a ticket to an old friend of Maho's."

"Sometimes that girl's too smart for her own good. Or else I told her more than I thought..."

Taira laughed. "Or else she can put two and two together." At Sorako's questioning glance, he continued. "You're not the only one she talks to. She is, almost unfortunately, the younger sister of one of my good friends." He pulled an envelope out of the pocket of his jeans. "So here you go. One bonafide ticket. And..." He hesitated.

"Yeah?" Sorako asked after a pause.

"And if you... feel like staying afterwards, I can get you into our after party." He finished with a hesitant, but warm smile.

"Beck's playing?!" Sorako asked excitedly. Taira gave her an incredulous look.

"Sorako-san, do you mean to tell me that you do not know who our lead guitarist is? It's Minami Ryuusuke – called Ray by his sister and American friends."

Sorako face-palmed to hide her embarrassed blush. "Wow. DUH, Sorako." she said almost to herself. She then explained: "I knew that. I just didn't remember Ray being a nickname. I guess I always thought it was his real name, since that's all he ever went by." Taira burst out laughing at that, causing Sorako's blush to deepen. "Hey, cut me some slack. I was eight the last time I saw them!"

"Eight? I'd have thought that would be old enough to know better..." Taira commented after he regained some control of his laughter. "How do you know Ryuusuke and Maho, anyways? Maho didn't say, just that you were old friends."

"Well, I might've known better if Ray had been around more. Even at nine, he was always running around senselessly." The bell on the door rang again, cutting her off. She held a finger up towards Taira, to indicate that she'd finish in a few minutes. She greeted the customer kindly by name, then quickly stepped back into the storage area to get the book that had been ordered and placed on hold for him. After ringing his order up, she turned back to Taira as the customer walked out the door.

"Sorry about that. He's one of our regulars. Comes by something like twice a week, but never on a regular schedule. Orders some pretty obscure and hard-to-find books, too. Now where was I?" She paused for a moment. "Oh, right. Ray and Maho." She took a seat on the counter, twisted slightly to face him.

"Well, I told you I lived in America, deshou?" At his nod, she continued nostalgically. "When my family lived there, we lived in a mostly white, rich neighborhood. My school reflected that – there were a lot of rich, white snobs. Very few Asians; maybe twelve all told in the entire school, kindergarten through sixth grade. And in the school, there were only about five Japanese kids – me, my older sisters, Maho, and Ray. Maho and I met one day, and got along very well. We became good friends, despite our age difference. And, as young girls often do, we both spent a lot of time at each other's houses. So Maho knew Hioshi-niisan, Ginami-neechan, and A-Arata-neechan, about like I knew Ray. For a while, it kinda seemed like Ray was my brother, too. And I wouldn't be surprised if she said the same about my siblings."

The bell rang again and Sorako quickly jumped off the counter to go help the newest customer. When she came back, Taira was leaning against the counter, looking curious but waiting patiently.

"Nan desu ka, Taira-kun?"

"If you don't mind my asking, why did you stutter when you said your sister's name?" Sorako's smile fell, and Taira quickly said, "if it's too personal, you don't have to tell me, of course. I'm just curious."

"I don't mind. It's a bit difficult though... Arata-neechan died in a car wreck a couple years ago. Her boyfriend was driving... he wasn't completely sober, and he wasn't a good driver on his best day. He crashed into a pole. He survived with just a leg amputation, but she... she took the brunt of it. She died en route to the hospital." Her voice had turned more bitter and slightly cold as she finished.

"Oh. I'm sorry..."

"Kekko desu. I've gotten over it. Have to move on, ne?" Sorako rang up the purchases of the customer who had entered earlier, wishing them a good day as they walked out the door. She avoided Taira's eyes, blinking fast, trying to keep back tears. Sorako stepped out from behind the counter. "I'm gonna... check the books. Make sure they're still in order."

"Do you mind if I come, too?" Sorako shrugged a response, not trusting her voice or her face to not betray her.

He stepped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her in a loose hug. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? I didn't mean to upset you..."

After initially stiffening, Sorako returned the loose embrace. "I'll be okay. Really. I, just,... I still kinda miss her. She wouldn't want me to keep crying over her, but I can't help it sometimes, y'know?" Taira just gently patted her back, ignoring the few tears that he felt fall onto his cotton shirt. After a few silent moments, Sorako pulled back from the comforting hug and flashed him a watery smile.

"Domo arigatou, Taira-kun."

"Any time." She turned to go back to her spot behind the counter but paused when she heard him speak again. "Oi, when do you get off work?"

Sorako checked her watch. "About an hour. Why?"

"Would you like to ride with me to the gig later? I mean, I have to go help get the stuff loaded into the van, but I can be back to come pick you up when you're done here, if you like..."

Sorako gave a small smile. "I'd love that." _And I think I'm falling in love with you, _her mind added.

He grinned like a child given an extra cookie. "Okay. I'll be back in an hour. Ja ne!" He turned and headed for the door, as she returned the phrase.

_/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\__/*\_

And hour later, the bell rang through the store at almost the same time as Riaki's "Konbanwa." came through the back door.

"Right on time, Riaki-chan; do you work the whole night shift tonight?"

"Yeah, just about. But the boss has hired one more person to help us, and he's supposed to be coming in about half an hour and working with me tonight. I got charged with showing him the ropes. Joy. Now go clock out – that hot blond over there seems to be waiting for you!" Riaki finished with a wink.

"Yeah, ok. See you later, Riaki-chan!" Sorako mouthed 'one minute' to Taira, then stepped back into the storage area to clock out, grabbing her purse before going back out the front.

"You ready?" Taira asked with a smile.

"Yep!" Sorako grinned as she climbed over the counter, rather than bother to go around. Taira looked a bit surprised, but recovered quickly.

"Let's go, then!"

"Have a good date! Don't bring her home too late!" Riaki called teasingly from behind the counter.

Sorako chucked a balled-up receipt that had been in her pocket at her ornery co-worker with a casual "Shut up." Taira just winked at Riaki, then held the door for Sorako with a calm smile. They walked out, talking casually about unimportant things like good friends, as opposed to two people who had met less than two weeks ago.

**A/N2: Aww... isn't it sweet, Sorako's falling for Taira. The next chapter will focus more on Taira and Beck, and the chapter after that will focus on all of them! So please R&R, and encourage me to write. Of course, if you wanna flame, go ahead – all flames will convert into heat energy and be used to power some of my other stories. **

**Also, if you read Wait for Me before I took it down, I will be rewriting it, changing the name, and reposting at least the first 3 chapters this summer. Maybe more, if I can find time. Which will be difficult, but not impossible. So wish me luck!**

**Nee-chan: suffix for sister (very girlish or childlike)**

**Moshi-moshi: the way Japanese people answer the phone.**

**Nii-san: suffix for a brother (very girlish or childlike)**

**Kekko desu: It's (I'm, etc.) fine.**


End file.
